The Netyeti's Journal

Domain

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Domains: The Address Book of the Internet

A domain (e.g., netyeti.net) is a human-readable “alias” for an IP address.

Why a Domain in the Lab?

  • Ease of Use: router.home.arpa is easier than 192.168.1.1.
  • SSL/TLS: You need a domain to get a valid certificate from Let’s Encrypt (using the DNS-01 challenge).
  • Organization: Subdomains can group your services (nas.netyeti.net, plex.netyeti.net).

NetYeti’s Strategy for Domains

  1. Public Domain: Register one (via Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.) for external access (with a VPN!).
  2. Internal Domain: Use .home.arpa (RFC 8375) or a subdomain of your public domain (internal.netyeti.net).
  3. Local Resolution: Use Pi-hole or Technitium to resolve internal domains to local IPs.

Common TLDs (Top-Level Domains)

  • .net / .com / .org: Standard.
  • .home.arpa: Recommended for internal non-routable domains.
  • .internal: A newer emerging standard.

Domain & DNS Reliability (The PACE Plan)

Information Discipline

P (Primary): Internal Technitium DNS & DHCP (Recursive & Authoritative for local zones). A (Alternate): Secondary Technitium node or AdGuard Home instance. C (Contingency): Public DNS providers (e.g., 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8) with hardcoded /etc/hosts for critical infrastructure. E (Emergency): Direct IP access (bypass DNS entirely for management interfaces).

Knowledge Check:

  • Are you using “Split-Horizon DNS” to resolve your public domain to local IPs when you’re at home?
  • Is your “Dynamic DNS” (DDNS) client updating your IP automatically?

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